Established in 2021, Port Adelaide’s Australian Defence Force (ADF) Veterans Program has already helped 133 veterans adjust to civilian life – and that number’s set to climb, thanks to new state government funding. The program, run by the not-for-profit charity arm of the club, Power Community Limited (PCL), now has a secure future for at least the next four years.

What do ex-footy players and veterans have in common? A lot.

The six-week annual ADF program is built around the similarities between the elite environments of AFL and the military – and the challenges many experience adjusting to “normal life” after either career. It’s the only program of its kind run by an AFL club.

Finding his tribe – Ash’s story

When Ash Muir signed up for the inaugural ADF program, he wasn’t a Port Adelaide supporter or even a footy fan. He’d recently been medically discharged after serving 18 years in the air force and “saw it as an opportunity for some self-growth, to learn something new, and meet some people”.

Like many veterans, Ash’s transition out of the service was challenging, as he struggled with a loss of identity and purpose that fed into a lack of self-worth.

“You go from having a definite military rank and position serving your country to ‘what do I do with my time?’,” he says. “You can feel in limbo not knowing where the future is going to go.”

But he credits the ADF program with changing all that: “It changed my life. It’s given me a future. And I guess it’s helped me establish a new identity post-military. I just feel like I belong somewhere.”

He was so enthusiastic about his experience that PCL asked him to become co-facilitator of the program. “That was huge, because I felt as though someone saw worth in me again. Someone wanted me to be a part of their team,” he says.

Now he goes to games and even has merch – despite his wife and the rest of his family being die-hard Crows fans. “How could I not support a team that’s doing so much for veterans and defence families? I guess I’ve just got that personal connection with the club now – I really admire their community values.”

How the program helps veterans

Ash says the program includes “super motivating” presentations by past players, coaches and staff members, focusing on issues like goal setting, relationships, leadership and mental health. There’s also time for a kick of the footy, plenty of laughs and a shared dinner to bond over.

It’s proved so popular that this year’s program booked out in two weeks.

The state government is investing $240,000, through Veterans SA, to ensure the program can continue to support the veteran community over the next four years. It’s part of a $2.1 million State Budget commitment to improve outcomes for veterans and their families, with a host of initiatives being rolled out.

Ash is excited about how this new funding means the program can expand and help more veterans. He says it means more time to plan to make the program even better, plus regular events held throughout the year to foster long-term connections between veterans and players.

A game changer – Kat’s story

For many veterans, like Kat Hare, their military service can be both the best and worst period of their lives. During her 10 years in air force intelligence analysis, the nature of her work – as well as workplace sexual abuse – took a heavy toll on her mental and physical health, leaving her with chronic illness.

When she signed up for the ADF Veterans program she was struggling to get out of the house, even with her assistance dog Charlzy (pictured with her right and below with fellow veterans at a Port Adelaide game) by her side. But Ash – whom she’d looked up to in the air force – convinced her to give the ADF Veterans program a go.

“Hearing from these players who were still at the top of their game talk about their mental health struggles felt like it opened doors for the rest of us to have those conversations,” Kat says.

For Kat, the program “felt like home, like a community,” she says. “It was just lovely. And then we went to the football games as well. That was a big deal for me to actually get out to the stadium and go see a game”.

She said the amount of trouble they’d gone to so she felt comfortable – which included an extra seat for Charlzy – brought her to tears.

“The program was so supportive, and made us realise that we’re not broken, we’re just injured, which means we need to do some sort of rehab to get back to who we can be. It was a game changer for me.”

Kat wants to celebrate everyone who has helped her transition back into regular life, so she’s started a business called Emereas, to capture the incredible stories of all these fantastic people who’ve served their county. She’s also back at uni, studying towards a PhD to help her record those stories in the most sensitive ways possible.

“These programs provide a structured and safe space for veterans to climb out of whatever hole they feel stuck in – whether they can’t go out in public yet, whether they don’t like large crowds or whether they are still angry at the world of defence or even at themselves.”

Kat would love to see the program embraced by other AFL clubs as well as other sporting codes, like soccer and basketball: “Imagine how many veterans that would pull out of the bush.”

It’s a win-win for players

Ex-Port Adelaide player and fan-favourite, Alipate Carlile, says having past players involved in the ADF program is awesome.

“A lot of the challenges that we face as past players leaving the AFL environment after so many years, veterans are facing similar things. So, it’s really good for us to be able to talk through some of the stuff that’s worked for us and the stuff that hasn’t.

“I think collectively as a group of past players and veterans, we all feel less alone in our respective transitions, and that’s really important.”

Alipate says hearing the veterans talk about their own experiences is a real highlight for him. “I think each time you go into these sessions you come out with a new story, a new connection with someone else. Even just sitting down for dinner with them afterwards is really cool because they speak about their lives, and you get to know them.”

For more information about Port Adelaide’s Australian Defence Force Veterans Program click here.

This story originally appeared on The Post - a media partnership between the Government of South Australia and Solstice Media to inform young South Australians about the policies that underpin issues affecting their lives.